Two new names have been added to the shortlist for Sony/Columbia's high-school focused reboot of the Spider-Man franchise: Kick-Ass star Aaron Johnson and Anton Yelchin of Star Trek and Terminator Salvation. Based on the Los Angeles Times reports, the new names extend the previous list to seven, but the choice of two actors with more action movie experience could well mean that the unknowns on the list are toward the bottom.
Johnson has received the most fan speculation, considering his role as the self-made hero Kick-Ass was more or less a spoof on Peter Parker becoming Spider-Man with all the first person narration and such. There's no question he would slide easily into the part (most likely), but many argue that he was overshadowed by Chloe Moretz as Hit Girl in Kick-Ass and that he might not be able to command the film.
Yelchin's role as young Kyle Reese in "Salvation" in addition to other lead roles in indie flicks has proved he could handle the starring role. Compared to another top shortlister such as Jamie Bell, he's another sweet-faced character who's easy to sympathize with, only he has a bit more under his belt in the genre.
The two young stars join Bell, Josh Hutcherson, Frank Dillane and up-and-comers Andrew Garfield and Alden Ehrenreich (presumably the bottom names on the list) in competition for the role of a lifetime. There's no timetable for a decision as the fourth Spider-Man movie, written by James Vanderbilt and directed by Marc Webb, is not due until summer 2012.
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